Last Friday in Waco, the Bulldawgs topped Houston Cypress Ridge 55-48 in one of the best high school football games both teams’ fans had ever seen. And the community was still abuzz about it.
But as Cove (12-1) prepares to battle Klein Oak (10-1) in the Class 5A Division II Region II final at 7:30 tonight at Tiger Stadium, there is very little distracting the Bulldawgs. After all, they have been here before and know exactly what’s at stake.
“I think our guys have been through it enough,” Welch said. “They are road-tested. They are battle-tested. We went right back to work on Saturday. These are just regular days.”
In truth, there’s nothing regular about Copperas Cove. The Bulldawgs are 59-10 in the last five years, including back-to-back 4A Division I state title games from 2006-07 and a trip to the 5A Division II Region II final in 2005.
Part of the reason the Bulldawgs have hardly skipped a beat moving back up to 5A this year is because of their recent success.
“One of the things that’s helped us is we’ve played so many games,” Welch said. “We’ve played six years of football in the last four years and having the scout team (who are next year’s players) be a part of all that helps. They are a part of it, they see it, they’ve experienced it, so when they get there they aren’t all geeky-eyed. When you have that experience you are more rooted and grounded.”
The Bulldawgs have averaged 368.8 yards per game on offense and allowed 304.4 on defense. Running back Brandin Byrd has led the rushing attack with 993 yards and 10 touchdowns, and fellow junior William Wright has run for 855 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Texas Christian commitment Josh Boyce is the top receiver, with 37 catches for 789 yards and nine touchdowns.
But as recent developments have shown, the individual statistics aren’t as important as the team itself.
When starting quarterback Cody Vaughn was injured near the end of the regular season, the Bulldawgs put in Nick Green, who failed to connect on his first 11 passes but now seems hard to slow down. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 142 yards in last week’s win, including the 40-yard game-winning touchdown to Boyce with nine seconds to play.
“That’s a philosophy we have,” Welch said. “First of all, I never talk about injuries. Second of all, somebody is going to step up. If I’m putting a backuup in that role, he’s no longer the backup - he’s the starter and he’s the guy we rely on. If I’m still talking about the guy he replaced, how does that make him feel? The next performer is in; it’s his time to go. Let’s go.”
Klein Oak can relate to such an attitude. The Panthers have had to deal with an injury to standout running back Ossam Cook in the last two games.
Cook, who has 1,620 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 166 carries, suffered an injury two weeks ago and ran only five times for 10 yards in last week’s 34-10 win over Richardson Lake Highlands.
His injury forced the Panthers, who have 3,231 rushing yards and 1,438 passing yards, to go to the air more and rely on backup running backs Jeremy Mayweather and John Cook and quarterback Andy Wilson.
Mayweather and Cook rushed for a combined for 162 yards against Lake Highlands, and Wilson passed for 233 yards and rushed for 32.
Klein Oak coach David Smith was not available for comment, and there is no word on whether Ossam Cook will play tonight, but the Bulldawgs are preparing as if he will.
Even if he’s not, Cove still expects the Panthers to run their shotgun spread offense that is similar to what Cy-Ridge and several other teams do - either a handoff to the running back, usually up the middle, or a quarterback keeper around the outside.
“This is a team that runs but they can pass and pass well,” Welch said. “Andy Wilson does a good job. He’s an athlete. We have a lot of respect for him and their running back.
“They showed last week that they are not a one-man team and they have guys they can just put in and move. When Cook isn’t in there they put another in there and keep moving. Now, when he’s in there he gives them a little extra step, but they are OK without him. We have a lot of respect for them."
The Cove-Klein Oak winner will advance to next week’s state semifinals to play the winner of Saturday’s Wylie-Cedar Hill matchup.
mhood@temple-telegram.com
